Tension-regulator for printing-presses.



. s. MORSE. TENSION REGULATOR FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1911.

1 I 03, 1 52. Patented July 14, 1914.

s SHBBTS-SHEET 1.

W. S. MORSE.

TENSION REGULATOR FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18,1911.

Patnted July 14,1914.

Lmmm,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented July 14, 1914;.

W. S. MORSE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18,1911.

TENSION REGULATOR FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

' arm.'

r enric WILLIS-S. MORSE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

. TENSION-REGULATOR FO R PRINTING-PRESSES.

.force exerted on the spindle of the roll of paper from which said web is fed.

Another object ofthe invention is to pro-' vide tension regulating means of the general type abovenoted which shall include a device whereby the retarding .force on the roll and hence the tension on the paper web maybe manually adjustedfrom a distant" part of the press; the invention also contemplating the provision of electrical: apparatus whose action may be varied or controlled by the operation of a switch or rheostat to produce the desired retardation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tension regulating mechanism for printing presses'which shall include an. electrical device for causing variation of the nretarding force exerted on the roll of paper, in. combination with ,a web actuated switchor rheostat arm and a contact or contacts co- 1 operating therewith, so arranged that thc operation of the electrical apparatus-is dependent upon the position of a web-engaging roller'connected' to said switch or rheostat These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafterset forth, reference being had to the accoinpanylng drawlngs,

Figure-1, is a side elevation of a portion of a printing press showing my invention as applied thereto; Fig. 2, is a plan of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Figs. 8' and 1 are respectively a side and an end-elevation of a modified form of my invention, and Fig. 5, 1s a side elevat on of the hand tension ad justing device for use at the front end of the .represents portions of the frame-of the press. I

In Figs. 1 and 20f the. above drawings, 1

printing press towhichmy invention is applied and on this are mounted bearings 2 for the reception of a spindle 3 carrying a roll X Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 191d.

Application filed April 18, 1911. Serial No. 621,740.

of paper. Fixed'in any suitable manner to the end of this spindle is a grooved brake wheel 4 having a pair of brake shoes 5 acting upon it. These shoes are mounted on a pair of oppositely placed levers 6 and these latter each have one arm pivotally connected to a bar 7 mounted on a spindle 8. The other arm'of each of the levers'has pivotally (3011-. nected to it a tubular member 9 provided with interior threads and designed to be engaged by a screw 10 fixed to a hand wheel 11; it being noted that the thread of one of these members 9 and its'coeperating part of the screw is right'hand while the thread of the other member and its screw is left hand.

The structure so, far described is well known in this artand is commonly employed for exerting any. desired retarding action, on the spindle or shaft 3 in-order to give the suitable tension on the paper web-delivered from the roll on said spindle. According to my invention, however, the end of thebar 7 which is connected to the lower of the levers 'd-is slotted for the reception of the connecting pin or pivot so that this'end of the lever is free to move to a limited extent relatively to saidbar. This same arm of the lever is also extended or in any case suitably formed to coiiperate'with the short arm of'a lever 12. pivoted to the frame of the machine at 13 andcapable of causingthe lower lever'fi to turn on its point of connection with the lower one of thepart-S 9'as a fulcrum for the purpose of varying the pressure of the brake shoes on the grooved wheel. For actuating thislever 12 I provide an electric motor 14 to whose armature shaft is fixedfa pinion 15 meshing with a gear 16 fixed to a threaded shaft 17 which is mounted in-siitable bear: ings as shown. A nut 18 threaded on this shaft is connected-to cotiperatev with an arm 19 fixed to a shaft 20 also having fixed to it an arm 21 connected through a rod .22 with the long arm'of the lever 12. As is obvious, the operation of the screw 17 by the motor 14 causes turning ofthe lever 12 on its pivot or fulcrum and, thereby actuates the levers 6 and the brake shoes connected thereto.

For governing the action of themotor, I

provide a.reversing switch and a rheostat; 23 electrically connected thereto and to a source of currentsupply as shown, or in any ofthe ways Well known to this particular art, it being understood that While I preferably use a rheostat'in order to more or less gradually start the motor 14, ajswitch merely making and breakingv the-motor circuit may be sub- "stituted'for said rheostat in some cases without departing from my. invention.

In the form of rheostatshown there is provided a number of contacts 24 mounted concentrically with an elongated contact 25 and two pairs of segmental contacts 24* and 25 there being two bridge pieces '26 and .26 cooperating with these contacts a's'mdi- 1 cated in dotted lines in Fig. l and carried on an arm 2'? fixed to a spindle 28 carried in bearings in the frame 1 of the machine.

of which the first is commonly known as the compensating roll.

F or preventing sudden movements of the arms-29 and their attached parts I provide a dash pot 38 of suitable construction whose pistonrod 34 is connected to-on'e of said arms. I likewise connect-the latter through a link 35 and a spring 36 to one arm of a lever 37, having anoperating rod 38 preferably extendedto the front or delivery'end of the printing presswhere it is connected throu h a lever 59 and a link 50 with'ahand opera ing lever 51 or: other device for longitudinally moving it to vary the pressure of the roller30 upon thewebY of the paper as it passes from the'roll X. Said lever 51 may be held in'any adjusted position correspond- .ing to a predetermined tension on the paper web by means of a-latch 52 and a cooperating notched quadrant 53. .With this arrangement of parts, the spindle 3.with its roll of paper is mounted in the bearings 2 the brake wheel 4 having been previously 'mounted on and fixed to said shaft, and the I shoes 5 with their attached parts are then applied to said wheel. The motor circuit being opened at-any suitable controlling switch 24* the paper is then led over the rollers 31,

32, and 30 through the machine in the well known manner, it being understood that the nut 18 is in its mid position on the screw 17. After the press has been set in operation and when the proper tension has been put on the paper web the roll 30 is raised by said web Y to such a height that the 'contacts'26 and '26 of the rheostat are at ori-mmediately adjacent to the mid position. If now the current supply switch of the motor be closed, any tightening of the web sufficient to cause the arms 29 to be raised by the action of said web on the roller 30, moves the arm 2?.witl1 its contacts26 and 26 to such a position that current is delivered to the motor 1 1 in the well understood manner. Said motor is so connected that it at once starts and moves the nut 18 on the screw 17 toward itself, thereby so moving the arm 19, shaft 20, arm 21, rod

22, and lever 12 that the lower lever 6 is,

permitted to move slightly away from the brake wheel 1; it being understood that this lever and its connected parts were previously adjusted by the hand wheel 11 to "cause the brake shoe 5 to exert some friction on sa'id wheel.

As a result of this action of.'the motor, the lower brake shoe 5 is, caused to .bear less heavily on the brake wheel and downward pull through the tubular members 9 upon the upper lever 6 is likewise diminished, thereby also diminishing thepressure of the upper brake shoe. As a consequence, the spindle 3 is permitted to turn more freely in its bearing and the tension on the paper web Y is diminished. As

drops, thereby bringing the arm 27 and the conta-ct'26 tothemidposition on the rheostat, thus stopping the motor 14. If, on the other hand, the tension of the paper Web so far slacksas to permit the arms 29 to fall below a predetermined point, the motor is started so as to operate in a direction, the

reverse of that indicated, thus so turning the lever. 12 that its shortarm forces upwardly the coiiperating. arm of the lower lever 6 and directly presses the lower brake shoe 5 against the brake wheel. At the same time the upper lever 6 is pulled. down so that its brake shoe. islikewise forced against said 'a consequence the roller 30 with its arm-29 wheel. The retarding force exerted on the p spindle 3 is thus increased as is also the tension on the paper web Y, until by the raising of the roller 3'O andthe arms 29, the rheostat arm 26 is, returned to its mid position. Y i The operator in charge of the press may atany time vary the tension on the paper web from his position in front of the press by. properly adjusting thepull of the spring '86 on the arms 29 through-the rod 38and lever 37, as he may find to be advisable from his examination of the condition of the printed matter turned out by the press. This featureis particularly valuable in newspaper work, for hitherto it has been custoinary to regulate the tension of the 1111- printed paper web from the rear of the fina chine, although the condition of the work done by the press could only, be observed by an operator stationed at the opposite end thereof.

As 1s obvious,v the motor is operated at a greater speed, the greater amount of movement of the arms 29 with the roller 30- from the normal position, for if the contacts 26 and 26 of the rheostat are rapidly moved from tlieir mid pos to the extreme right or left hand co11tacts, ;the motor is almost instantly brought up to full speed and the tension on the paper web is thereby quickly varied as required.

In some instances it may be desirable to replace the brake Wheel 4 and itsassoci- 'ated' parts by other means for exerting a retarding force on the roll spindle and in Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown a relatively sim- :ple and compact combination of apparatus for accomplishing the same ends as are se-.

cured by the mechanism heretofore" described. In this case the roll shaft 3 has fixed to it an armature plate. of magnetic material which may be provided with a hub having an annular recess 4-1 for the reception of the arms ofa yoke 42 pivoted to 4 the frame of the machine at a3 and adjustable by means ofa hand wheel 44 and a screw 45t0 longitudinally move the spindle 3 in' its bearings for the purpose of bring ing' the paper roll thereon into any desired position. j

=An annular brake magnet46-is mounted.

on a supporting structure 47 and is preferably slidable so as to be'movable toward .and from the armature plate 40 after this, with the shaft 3 hasbeen'adjusted to any desired position. For this purpose I pro-.

vide a hand wheel 48 and a screw 49 for moving said magnet on suitably formed guideways on the supporting structure 47, although under certain conditions it may be'fixed to'its supporting structure. This magnet-may beconstructed in the'form of an'electr'ic' clutch of which the armature plate 40 forms the movable member and in "this instance is connected in circuit with a rheostat 23? arranged as shown.

As the roll '30 with its. arms 29 rises and falls underoperating conditions, the movable contact 26 of the rh'eostat or controller cuts'more or less resistance into and out of circuit with the magnet 46,- thereby vary ing the retarding force exerted by it on thev revolution of the armature plate 40 and consequently of the shaft 3 with its paper roll; As will of course beunderstood by those skilled in the electrical art, the wind-;

ing of the magnet and theamount of the resistance in circuit therewith are so designed that a variation in said amount will cause amaterial variation in the clutching force exerted by said magnet with there sult that a variation in the amount of resistan'ce in circuit will cause'a corresponding var1at1on ofthe retardation exerted on the armature plate.

By the use of the particular adjusting device shown in Fig. 5, or by some equivalent device, the press operatoris enabled to instantaneously set or adjust the tension of the paper web to any desired and predetermined point in order that the press may properly operate with papers of diiferent grades and Widths Without danger of breaking said web. With this idea in view the various notches of the quadrant are placed so that when any on of them is engaged by thelatch of the lever, the latter is held.

in a position corresponding to a certain definite and predetermined tension and the' availability of my device for being quickly adjusted to give with certainty-any one of a number of predetermined tensions consti tutes one of the important advantages of my invention; itbeing further. noted that the operatinglever with its latch'and quadrant gives visible indication of the tension to ,wh1ch the deviceisf adjusted. I claim;

l..In"a tension regulator for a printing press, the combination of web roll shaft, a braking mechanism. operative on said shaft, means including a member" movable in response to, variations in the tension of the web to cause the. operation of the brak-- ing mechanism, a device contiollablefifrom ,3. Inwa tensionregulator; for a printing 'press, the combination of a Web supply roll shart,'.brakingmechanism operative on said shaft, means including a member movable in response to-variations inthe tension of the web'to cause the operation ofthe braking mechanism as the tension of the web varies, manually operablemeans for ad- .justing said movable member at Wil1,.'an'd means for'retarding the operation of said member and preventing sudden movements of the same.

4,. In a tension iregulato r for"printing presses, tliecombination of a web supply 'roll. shaft, a member movable in response to variations in tension of-the web fed from said supply roll, mechanism for retarding "orlpermitting the acceleration of the web supply roll shaft, means connecting said member and mechanism. and causing the mechanism to .be operated in accordance with the variations in the tension of the web,

a spring associated with said member, and

means whereby the tension.of'said'spring may be adjusted while the movable member is active. Y a

5. In a tension regulator for printing presses, the combination of a web supply r'oll shaft. a member movable in response to 2'. a spring connected at one end. to said movable member and at its opposite end to said lever, and means for adjusting said lever and spring andholding the latter at any one of a-plurality of predetermined tensions.

In a tension regulator for printing presses, the combination of a Web supply roll shaft, a-brake diskon theroll shaft, amember movable in response 't o changes in the tension of the web, an electric controller actuated by said movable member, mecha- 111SI11 including an electric device in circuit With said controller for causing variationsv in the retardation exerted on said brake disk in accordance with changes in the tensionof, the web, and resistance 1n clrcult W1th said .controller and electric device and arranged to be varied by said controller as the tension on the Web varies.

'7; In a tension regulator for a printing press,-the combination of a web su ply roll shaft, a brake element on the roll sha t, a member movable in response to changes in the tension of the Web, an electric device coopera'ting with said brake element and arranged to cause variations in the retardation 6X- erted on said roll shaft, resistance in circuit with the electric-device, and an electric controller in circuit with said electric device and actuated by-said movable member, said controller being adapted to. insert or cut outresistance in the circuit of said electric device to cause said device to vary-the retardw tion exerted on said roll shaft in accordance with Web tension changes.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. WILLIS s. Moasn.

WVitnesses WILLIAM E. BRADLEY,

WM. A. BARB. v 

